Bacteria can anticipate the changing seasons.

Cyanobacteria, a simple form of life, have been found to be able to predict and prepare for changing seasons. While it has long been known that complex organisms can use day length as a cue for future environmental conditions, this is the first time photoperiodism has been observed in bacteria. Researchers exposed cyanobacteria to varying day lengths and found that those exposed to simulated short days were better able to survive ice-cold temperatures, indicating that they had prepared for winter-like conditions. This discovery suggests that photoperiodic responses evolved much earlier than previously thought. [Extracted from the article]